Derm Thoughts

So Outsiders, how do you think it is here at Pfizer?

Have you met or dealt with any internal hires? Do you think they will do well in the Derm offices?

 

Really enjoying the managers and reps I meet. And its the best big pharma company culture I've experienced.

I really hope the sales director makes better choices and is a better person then what I would expect from someone who worked at Valeant for so long. And marketing seems to be missing the boat on some things due to their lack of experience in the derm market. But we'll make it work. Overall good people and a good company.

 

Well said

 

I like it so far. Guess a lot depends on your DM, but so far so good. Clearly, this company is about money-ball metrics so I'll just take care of that but my sense is leadership does want to help us.

 

Long time Pfizer here. Best culture I've experienced so far with the company. I think leadership is taking care of us by making sure we take a slow and deliberate approach to launch. Made huge mistakes when launching Embeda too quickly and it never recovered it's reputation as not being covered. I think the same could be said for the Xeljanz specialty Rx launch as well.

I'd rather be here than anywhere else, maybe Oncology for the pipeline. Having called on them for Eliquis they are a tough group to see, not very happy in general and face the same barriers to access at pharmacy whether it be specialty or in house.

 

Culture comments sound great, but I'm looking at the efficacy and culture won't help that

 

What are talking about? The efficacy in the trials was superior in reaching ISGA scores, time to reach the ISGA scores and Pruritis to the emollient used in Eucrisa?

Plus the facts that:

Non Steroidal
Used as a mono therapy
No black box warning
One adverse event that was transient
No contraindications

Every Office I've encountered has been waiting for this.

 

You can't win in derm without hiring the biologics PROs and you went cheap and didn't hire them. You will lose.

Look at Celgene. They had a chance to hire the best and they didn't hire the biologic experienced pros and they aren't selling anything.

Now, we may have to wait a bit longer, but Sanofi was smart enough to hire the experienced, TNF pros. Guess what, we are going to smoke your placebo agent. Our efficacy is at least 3x yours.

Go ahead, build some awareness, I will crush you.

 

I know the data, safety is especially reassuring, but PBO performed pretty well and the scores for Cris weren't over-the-top better.

 

Sorry to burst you bubble but are not in competition when it comes to patients or price.

 

The efficacy of Protopic and Elidel weren't much better than their vehicles either but they were being written a ton until their black box warnings came about. There is a need for a non-steroidal out there. Aczone is not much better than its vehicle either and it still is written a lot.

 

The efficacy of Elidel and Protopic weren't much better than their vehicles either and they were written a ton before the Black Box Warnings came out. There is a need for non-steroidals out there. Aczone is also not much better than its vehicle and it is written a lot.

 

True. It'll be interesting to see Otezla results. I have a former colleague who was hired for dupilumab and he feels that once patients get passed the needle phobia, the drug will be the next Enbrel/Humira.​

 

That may be, but it targets moderate to severe patients.

 

Where did the damn Eucrisa posts go, this fucking drug sucks and we have no managed care coverage, no top of that we have to baby sit these fucking primary care reps who are trying to steal the business before we get it, writing on the wall already this is a sinking ship, we are all out of work before the end of Q2, already pulled the vouchers less than a week after national launch, GET SOME MANAGED CARE COVERAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Eucrisa Reps: believe in your drug and your Company. I'm a Pfizer employee who also happens to suffer from eczema/atopic dermatitis. I have tried every OTC and Rx topical available (Elidel, triamcinolone, etc, etc) and they did NOTHING. PO prednisone was effective, but can't live on that. I'm here to tell you Elidel WORKS and it's a god-send for me. Did my Rx go through smoothly (local pharmacy) the first time: No? Second time: Yes (specialty pharmacy). Was it worth the wait? 100% yes! Does Eucrisa sting a bit when first applied? Yes, but if you have eczema EVERYTHING, even water, stings when it touches your skin. Not a big deal.

What is a big deal is being so depressed and upset by the condition of your skin that you can barely function. What is a big deal is being able to use Eucrisa when I have a flare and not having to resort to prednisone or methotrexate, which was the next stop for me. From a rep standpoint I understand and can empathize with your managed care woes. But we've all faced those in our careers with much less efficacious drugs. Keep fighting. The more patients who are able to try this drug because of you, the greater the demand, the better the coverage. Honestly, given the choice between a steroid, methotrexate, a biologic or Eucrisa, which would you choose for yourself or a family member? Have some passion for the great drug you're selling. It works.

 

Crap on Pfizer and it's shitty managed care problems all you want, but don't crap on Eucrisa. This shit actually works and people know it.

 

the problem with Eucrisa is not the product but Pfizer. It's always Pfizer. Now they are bludgeoning their way into every dermatology office with a layered sales force because that worked for them with Z-Packs, Lipitor and Norvasc. Problem is that derm offices already hate them. They take up every available lunch and they get back and loiter so that entire derm offices that were open for decades are now closing shop.

Pfizer's sales model is poison because management doesn't know anything except rigid reach and frequency measurements.

Try to back off and listen to customers and you might sell a touch more and save the market for all of us.

 

It's definitely the Pfizer model. Reach and frequency, letters, emails, to irritate the Dr and staff. When will this model change? Healthcare has changed, why can't we?

 

Dude, I get ACE Points for faking calls. How does that shut down derm offices?